Roseville smoke shop owner arrested after sting reveals vape sales to minors, police say
Police and sheriff’s deputies arrested the owner of a Roseville smoke shop over the weekend after he sold a vaping device to an underage decoy, authorities said.
After receiving multiple tips about Affordable Smoke Shop on South Harding Boulevard selling vaping, tobacco and nicotine products to people under age 21, officers with the Roseville Police Department and Placer County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted the sting operation and arrested the store’s owner, Tony Kako, 47.
Kako sold a vaping device to a 17-year-old law enforcement decoy, the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday in a Facebook post.
During the sting, deputies observed “more than 20 young adults and minors go into and out of the smoke shop,” the Facebook post said.
Deputies also located a vial of methamphetamine near the cash register and a glass pipe in a backroom, according to the post.
Kako was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and providing tobacco products to a minor.
California raised the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and vape products to 21 from 18 in 2016. Photos included in the Sheriff’s Office post following the Affordable Smoke Shop bust show signs that were posted near the front of the store, which contained messages including “Under 18 wait outside please” and “ID or Mommy.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 8:12 AM.
